Washington, D.C.’s funding has been restored in a new draft of Congress’s continuing resolution legislation, averting the potential of millions in lost money.
The last continuing resolution did not include a provision allowing the district to spend its local budget.
House Republicans are trying to keep the government open through Nov. 21 and avoid a shutdown. While the current resolution does not hold any policy priorities favorable to either side, GOP House members said it does restore funding granted by the 2025 budget.
The past CR forced D.C. to rely on 2024 spending levels, which were millions below 2025 funds. While forecasts pointed to cuts near $1 billion, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office said the cuts ended up being around $410 million.
Rare win for DC in Congress today. Draft of the CR was released and it includes provision allowing DC to spend its local budget. Last CR did not include this important provision resulting in @MayorBowser and @councilofdc being forced to cut $400 million from its current budget. pic.twitter.com/SbnsG4M5jc
— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) September 16, 2025
The mayor’s office had been waiting for Congress to unfreeze the city’s funds to avoid cuts to city services. Bowser had instated hiring freezes, reduced non-personnel services, and pushed off or shifted costs down the line.
The CR, if passed, allows D.C. to maintain its 2026 budget plan.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has accused Democrats of “openly pining for a government shutdown.”
“We need responsible options here to keep the government open while all this work continues, and Republicans are committed to making that happen,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday. “Predictably and unfortunately, there are some Democrats who are openly pining for a government shutdown.”
But Democrats insist they will need policy concessions to vote for a CR. Sixty votes are needed in the Senate to bypass a potential filibuster.
“The Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people’s needs on healthcare, or they won’t get our votes,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters last week.
Bowser and the D.C. council passed the city’s $22 billion 2026 budget in July. The new budget accounts for a significant loss of government-related jobs and cuts social services. Bowser says it will “right-size” the city’s spending.
“We can’t act like today is 2024 or 2023. It’s not, folks. We have a shifting economy, and if we don’t shift with it, we will be a city that people flee,” the mayor told lawmakers as she unveiled the budget.